


The Gyuric Jungles

by Ferdi



Category: Redwall Series - Brian Jacques
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 23:21:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12352635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ferdi/pseuds/Ferdi
Summary: A dark curse ravages a peaceful tribe deep within the jungles of the Gyruic mountains. One squirrel alone can save them from their eternal damnation. Will she succeed? Or will she fall to the darkness?





	1. The Temple

A Red Squirrel stood silhouetted at the entrance of an ancient temple. With her flint and steel, she lit a torch, holding it high in front of her, revealing her red furred body and the long ancient hallway before her. She was of older seasons, though she did not look it. Her beautiful red fur parted at the belly giving way to a bright cream colour. Her right eye also had a band of white fur circle it completely. She wore a dusty beige tunic with pouches and pockets covering it. Upon her head rested a high-crowned, wide-brimmed, brown sable fedora. Her favorite hat. Against her waist, lay a bullwhip, and on her back a sabre rested in a leather hilt. A large dagger lay sheathed against her left thigh. A bow lay next to her sabre, the bowstring wrapped tightly around the top limb, allowing for the bow to fit neatly against her back, next to her haversack. She was an archaeologist by profession with a curiosity that burned like winter flames within her.

Depositing her tools she began to push deeper into the long forgotten temple. Behind her followed another squirrel, a native to the lands in which the temple rested. His name was Ferdi, a Red-cheeked Flying Squirrel about a head shorter than she was. His fur was a beautiful orange colour, with a white underbelly which stretched along the bottom of his membrane. His face was pure white with rosy red cheeks. His tail was shorter than Myrel's, with a feathery consistency. He was clothed in a leather and leaf tunic. He followed nervously, trying to stay close to the leading female.

"I'm just your guide, Myrel! I do not belong in this cursed place."

The female squirrel stopped suddenly, allowing for Ferdi to bump into her bushy tail.

"Oouf!"

His snout had bapped a rather hard object within Myrel's haversack. He quickly backed up, rubbing his nose with a paw. As he paced backwards, his footpaw caught a rock that jutted out from the floor. He gave off a small squeaky chitter as he tripped and fell against the cold damp wall.

Myrel's tail bristled and twitched in annoyance. She turned to see her companion sitting on the damp stone floor. His paw still rubbing his nose as his gaze met hers. He gave her a sheepish grin. She rolled her eyes before addressing him in a quiet tone.

"Ferdi, you silly squirrel. You're sitting in our first discovery! Get up before you ruin him!"

"Him?"

Ferdi looked puzzled, he hadn't seen or felt much of anything besides his now hurt nose and the wet stone against his bottom. Myrel gestured next to him, his head slowly followed her gaze only to find another. There next to him lay the blackened skeleton of a squirrel. Ferdi squeaked loudly, jumping up quickly, patting and wiping away at his fur and clothing. He shivered slightly as he regained his composure.

"It's just a dead guy,"

Ferdi said as he looked back towards Myrel, who had begun to giggle lightly.

"Yes, he looks pretty dead. Maybe you should give him a hug?"

"No!"

"Whatever you want, bushtail."

Myrel brushed past him, her tail trailed across his face as she passed. His nose twitched against the soft and fluffy red fur. She pushed her torch into an empty holder that rested near the remains. She carefully knelt next to the skeleton. It had been claimed by the jungle vine that crept up and down the moist temple walls. The skeleton was covered in the vines with only its ghastly black skull poking through. Myrel examined the remains as she unsheathed her large dagger. She grabbed hold of the vines, cutting them away from the ancient walls. She tossed them aside, not taking her gaze away from the long dead squirrel.

"Poor bugger."

"See, we should not be here! It's cursed."

"Oh hush, by the look of these bones this squirrel has been dead a while. I doubt we'll have any trouble."

"If the other tribes of the area find us here, there will be trouble. There are some even you have not discovered yet. They would surely kill us both."

"I know, I know. Death this! Death that! When will you learn to love adventure without fear, my friend?"

"When I stop almost dying every time!"

"You're an undead squirrel! You can't die. Again. Probably. You big baby."

Before Ferdi could respond, Myrel suddenly picked up the black bones of the skeletal squirrel.

"Hold this!"

The female squirrel dumped the remains into the unsuspecting arms of her companion. He freaked out momentarily, squeaking loudly as he threw the bones to the ground. Shivering slightly as he wiped heavily along his body as if to rid himself of the bad feeling of disgust and fear.

"Damn it, Mryel. Now I have dead guy all over me"

"Dead guy builds character."

He gave her a glare as she went back to work, his tail twitched in annoyance as she examined the now bare wall.

"FERDI!"

Ferdi quickly rushed to her side, looking at the wall, his tail bristling in excitement. He quickly shot out questions to the female.

"Did you find something? Are you hurt!? What is it? Treasure? Something old? Myrel!"

Myrel stared at the bare wall, with a look of intense concentration.

"It's... a.. wall."

She said with all the seriousness she could muster.

Ferdi's ecstatic excitement died instantly, bringing a paw to his face in a hard slapping motion as he fell backwards onto the ground. Myrel burst into a laughing fit, holding her sides as she too fell to the ground next to her companion. Her sweet little giggles put a small smile on Ferdi's face. The young squirrel had a little crush on Myrel, though he had not tried to get closer. He instead liked to enjoy the little moments he had with her.

"You're hopeless." He said to her as she nimbly jumped back up.

"Says the one laying down on the job, come on now! Push on! Sleep when you're dead!"

"I'm already dead."

"No sleep for you, adventure awaits!"

She grabbed the torch, pulling it free from the ancient wall, the stone indent crumbled away as she did so.

"It's a shame this place was lost to time. Must have been beautiful in it's prime,"

She said wistfully as she walked past Ferdi, pushing deeper into the gloomy darkness. Ferdi hopped up, quickly following behind Myrel. The last rays of sunlight from the entrance disappeared, allowing for the darkness to swallow them whole.

The light from the torch enclosed them in a tight sphere of light. It was an unnaturally thick darkness, the torchlight barely extending a few feet in front of the duo.

The inky blackness seemed to strain the light, pushing against it with long life like tendrils. The hallway narrowed slightly, with large statues lining the walls, spaced evenly out by a few feet.

Myrel eyed the statues suspiciously, each one was decorated with flower designs and made to look like different beasts. Badgers, squirrels, mice, ferrets, stoats, and rats. Each stood about chest level to the squirrels. They all had small circular holes where their mouths were.

"Curious statues, eh Ferdi?"

She broke away from Ferdi's grasp, examining one of the statues up close. She choose a mouse, holding her torch close to the stone face. It was beautifully detailed, almost like it was once alive.

"I think they're creepy, this whole place is creepy! I still think we should leave while we still can!"

"Shush, we'll be fine! Nothing bad has happened yet."

Myrel leant in towards the stone mouse, trying to get a better look at the perfectly circular hole in its face. Ferdi took a step closer, his shoulder rubbing up against Myrel's fluffy side. he leant in closer trying to see whatever Myrel was so interested in.

"It's a hol-"

*Thunk!*

A small arrow had shot out off the circular opening. Flying right between both squirrels faces. It embedded itself in Myrel's torch, just barely knicked her fluffy red cheek. Ferdi blinked, his foot having sunk a little lower into the ground.

"oops.."

He slowly moved his footpaw off the stone pressure plate, allowing it to slowly rise back up.

Myrel's head swivelled slowly towards the arrow, her eyes widened and she giggled with excitement.

"We've been boobied!"

She said happily as she tore the arrow out of the torch.

"You could have died! How can you be happy about that?"

"I didn't die! Just look at this! Who knows how long this arrow contraption has been here, and it still works perfectly!"

Ferdi rolled his eyes, taking a few steps away from the statue. Which he soon regretted as he sunk back into the ground, prompting another arrow to whizz past his head bouncing off the stone wall above Myrel.

He squeaked loudly, ducking down as low as he could.

"They're everywhere!"

"Then stand still, you silly squirrel. These aren't the greatest traps, we could easily see the triggers on the floor, it'll be a breeze to get past this."

Ferdi audibly groaned, plopping down onto the cold stone floor. He closed his eyes, sighing as he sank into the floor having pushed another pressure plate. Another arrow flew across the hallway. It bounced harmlessly against the opposite wall with a small *Ting*.

"Good idea, Ferds. You could just trigger all the traps before we move on!"

"Ha ha, very funny. I refuse to get another arrow stuck in my ass. It's your turn."

She feigned injury, bringing a paw up to her heart, trying her best to be melodramatic.

"You want me to get an arrow in my tush? Oh Ferdi, I'm hurt that you would ever say such a thing!"

Her tone was sarcastic and playful. Ferdi just face palmed, rubbing his face in slight annoyance.

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"Pppft, whatever you say."

She went back to examining the statue, poking and prodding everything she could. Ferdi just sat there pouting quietly. After a short moment, Myrel spoke again.

"Hmmm, so you think this thing would shoot again?"

"Don't do it."

"I'm doing it!"

She laughed menacingly as she pressed the pressure plate down, though nothing seemed to happen. She lifted her foot paw off the ground letting the plate rise.

"Hey, look at that! No more after one! What a cheesy design."

After a few more moments of examining the walls and statues, Myrel spoke again.

"Well, no sense sticking around here, just a bunch of bad traps."

Ferdi seemed to perk up slightly at her words, excitement evident in his voice.

"Does that mean we can leave now?"

"Oh my sweet little Ferdi, we still have this death trap of a hallway to navigate yet! Come along, I'll light up the floor, shouldn't be difficult to get through together. Step lively now, stay close behind me."

Ferdi sighed in defeat getting in step behind her as she lit the floor up with the torch. They zigzagged their way through the forest of pressure plates, thankfully it wasn't a long journey. The statues began to thin out and the hallway widened.

Ferdi gulped audibly as they journeyed deeper into the ancient ruins. His furry shoulder pressed up against Myrel's, subconsciously looking for comfort, a peace within the darkness. She did not mind, her free paw found itself intertwined with Ferdi's. They held tightly to each other as they pushed on. The tight hallway seemed to widen out to the point where the darkness claimed them.

"We're in a chamber now, though this darkness is not natural. Stay close, don't let go of my paw."

Ferdi nodded in agreement, his grasp on Myrel's soft paw tightened. She stopped, waving the torch around in front of her. She moved quickly to the side, looking for a wall, dragging her Ferdi along with her. She found her mark, a wall close to where they came in. The darkness around them began to fade, revealing the wall and oddly enough, fresh torches lined it. Letting go of Ferdi, She reached out with her paw, rubbing at the charred torch top.

"Still warm. I don't think we're alone."

"You mean some other beast is in here?"

"Perhaps."

She lifted her torch, igniting another. The darkness around them instantly vanished, and one by one more torches lit themselves around the room, revealing the large chamber.

"That's new."

Myrel said as the room began to shimmer in a beautiful golden glow. Red, blue, and green sparkles danced across the room in lazy motions. Pile upon piles of gold, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and treasures of all sorts filled the room. The eyes of both squirrels widened in wonder as they took in the sight. Ferdi left Myrel's side, walking between the piles of treasure. His worries melted away as his curiosity took hold, putting him in autopilot.

Myrel shook her head, ridding herself of the spell that seemed to have washed over her. She gazed about the room, almost completely ignoring the grand treasures before her. She was focused on the many skeletons that dotted the room, each sat upon their own pile. Their ghostly white features covered in gold accessories. Necklaces, crowns, tiaras, rings, decorative weapons, and clothing. She looked back to Ferdi, who had begun to put a large golden crown onto his head, he then began to dig around some more, pulling out large emerald and ruby Necklaces. Before long he was decked out, more gold than squirrel. Myrel chuckled, shaking her slightly as she spotted a pure gold decorative sabre. It was beautifully polished, with several runes she did not recognize etched into the blade and hilt. It rested in the paw of a long dead ferret.

"That's a good lookin' sabre you have there, mate. Do you mind if I have it?"

She extended her free paw to the jaw of the dead ferret, pushing it up and down to simulate speech. She deepened her voice, adding a rough manly gruffness as she answered herself.

"Why of course, Myrel! A pretty thing like you deserves the best after all!"

She gave a cute little giggle, pretending to be all shy and abashed.

"Oh, you! You're such a card!"

She released the jaw, moving her hand to the sabre. It was clutched tightly in the bone hand of the ferret. She pried it loose, forcing the fingers apart and away from the hilt.

She grasped the hilt of the blade, expert craftsmanship impressed the old girl. It was well balanced and really light weight. Which was odd to her since gold is a heavy metal. Should have weighed nearly three times the amount of the steel one she had strapped to her back. (2.44x)

She struck a stance, pushing the blade ahead of her. Form three of her personal combat style. It felt great, a perfect blade. Not a very good choice for actual fencing as gold is a soft metal, but she loved it all the same. Though she did think of it to be very odd, unreal in a way.

"Hey, Ferdi? I don't think any of this treasure is real, maybe you shouldn't be wearing any of it."

He seemingly ignored her warning, so she just shrugged, taking a look back at her lovely new ferret companion.

She gave off a surprised squeak, the ferret now stood snout to snout with the squirrel, its eyes glowed a sickly green colour. Gold coins fell through it's now standing skeletal frame, pinging against the ground in a golden shower. Her eyes widened as she slowly handed the sabre back to the skeleton, who grabbed it roughly from her paw. The ferret laughed sickly as it lay back upon its pile of gold.

"Bad form to take what isn't ours. What do you think Ferdi?"

The many piles of gold he had taken from each had its own skeleton of a long dead beast. Each one of their heads swiveled back and forth, locked onto Ferdi's movements. His eyes widened, instantly dropping the many pieces of jewelry and gold that decorated his fluffy body. The gold clattered against the stone floor, as he ran back to Myrel's side. The skulls of the dead slowly moved back in place, their eyes vacant once more. Ferdi shivered, as if to rid himself of all his troubled feelings.

"There there, Ferdi. Mama Myrel will take good care of you."

She gently patted his fluffy head, making his tail twitch about angrily. He just snorted, looking away all pouty.

"A feeling of greed is weighing down on me, this room is dangerous. We'll be doomed to live here for eternity if we let greed get the best of us. Let's push on."

"But the skeletons?"

"Heh, they won't hurt us. Isn't that right Mr. Ferret?"

Myrel proceeded to pat the skeletal head of the ferret she had originally stolen from. Trying to prove her point to her younger companion.

"Don't piss him off!"

"Oh please, I think he likes me."

Ferdi facepalmed, walking away towards the next hallway. Myrel followed, snickering as she went. She might not be so young anymore, but she sure didn't have to act old. With her torch held high, she pressed on, taking her first few steps gingerly into the next hallway. As soon as they were both clear from the treasure room, it plunged back into darkness, fading back into the void in which it came.

Ferdi found himself clasping back onto Myrel's paw, she didn't seem to mind, which put him at ease. They travelled unchallenged, not taking them as long to find themselves in the doorway of another room.

A sigh of relief escaped Ferdi's lips, as he pushed his arms over his head, stretching the membrane under his arms.

"Well, that wasn't so bad."

Ferdi said confidently as he took the first step into the seemingly larger room before them. The darkness surrounding the room was destroyed as torches that lined the room lit, blazing up brightly. The room was domed, natural sunlight filtered through the ceiling, from where they did not know. A large staircase sat at the opposite end of the room, leading up to a magnificent golden throne. On it lay a small golden Idol, their true prize.

The floor at the bottom of the stone stairs crescented out, leaving a nice flat torch light danced beautifully around the room. The walls were covered in lush and green jungle creepers, all flowering with beautiful pink blooms. At the top of the of throne lay a giant stone snake head, big enough to swallow the poor squirrels whole. The rest of the body winded along the curved walls. Moss covered its stone body, and the creepers had grown around it, almost swallowing the large statue.

"Look! The Idol! Ferdi, we've found it!"

Ferdi's attention drifted towards the throne, his eyes resting upon the idol. A huge grin crept along his lips, as joy filled his little chest right to the brim. He let out a whooping cheer as he took off across the crescent floor.

"Ferdi, wait! We don't know if it's safe!"

She made a grab for his tail, her paw clasped around it roughly. The feathery consistence of Ferdi's tail made it almost impossible to hold on to as it slipped easily from her paw.

"Damn!"

He paid her no mind, racing up the stairs as fast as he could. The end to his curse was within reach, his previous timidness had left him, he had to get that idol.

"Ooooh, you stubborn squirrel! Get back here before you get me killed!"

Ferdi let out a wondrous laugh, the little squirrel was filled right to the brim with joy. Each step he took prompted a different fantasy to pop into his mind. He would finally be able to eat, drink, and even finally fall asleep. Oh, how he had missed sleep, staying awake for over a decade is morale destroying.

"It's here! We've done it!"

"Don't you dare touch that Idol! Wait for me!"

She risked her first steps into the domed room, her foot paws pattering across the crescent-shaped floor. Myrel tossed her torch to the side, as she bounded up the stairs in pursuit of Ferdi. Her many tools bounced and clanged against her tunic. She was surprisingly agile for her age, taking two steps at a time, hoping to catch Ferdi before he could do anything stupid.

Ferdi had made it to the top, Myrel close behind. His eyes sparkled in the golden light of the beautifully crafted idol. It was in the shape of a flying squirrel, with a magnificent crown adorned upon its head.

"Ferdi, no!"

Myrel found herself running up the long stairway on all fours, panting heavily as her tail flared up in anger. Ferdi ignored her pleas, wrapping his forepaws around the small idol. It fit neatly in his palms as if it were made for his people. He lifted it up off the throne as Myrel reached his side, her sharp claws dug into his back, spinning him around to face her. The idol was still clutched in his paws, tightly bound with an iron grip.

"Ow ow ow! Myrel! That hurts!"

"Fool of a flyer! You could have gotten me killed!"

"But I have the idol! We can go home now! I can be rid of this curse! You've saved me and my people! I could kiss you!"

"No kisses for you, we're not out of the woods yet."

She grabbed his fluffy orange head, pushing his gaze to the now empty throne. It was slowly sinking into the floor.

"Oh. We're being boobied."

Myrel smacked him upside the head as the throne sank fully into the ground. Both of their gazes found themselves latched onto the large snake head that had previously rested upon the top of the throne. Its eyes gently blinked and its maw widened, showing off razor sharp fangs that dripped venom. Ferdi squeaked, dropping the idol onto the long stairway. It bounced down several steps before resting in the middle.

"Hurry! Climb the walls!"

Myrel urged him around the snake, pushing him up the wall. Being squirrels, they easily scaled the overgrown wall. They stared down at the snake's massive body as it slowly detached itself from the circular wall. Its body rapidly changed colour into a bright greyish green. Its dark orange eyes locked unblinking onto the two squirrels high above its head, its foul tongue flickered menacingly.

The two squirrels clung to the plant growth close to the ceiling, tucking their fluffy tails behind their backs.

"You've really done it this time, Ferds."

"At least we're safe up here, right?"

The snake slithered to the wall directly below the squirrels, pushing itself up the length of the wall, slowly inching its way towards the duo.

"You had to say it, you just had to Jinx us!"


	2. The Escape

*Vampire Squirrel ( wiki/Tufted_ground_squirrel) Do not confuse this for another undead.

A/N: Myrel has learned the common tongue, that is why the story is written as if they all know the same language. Any language gap shall only be explored when Chi-an is present.

The giant snake was a viper of some sort, the triangular head giving it away fairly easily. Myrel had met these dangerous reptiles before, though she had hoped never to meet another.

"We're in quite the pickle, Ferdi. I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"I'm afraid not."

She scanned the room, searching for the answer to her snake problem. A tree root had snaked its way into the domed room, hooking low from the ceiling. It caught her attention. She released a paw from the creepers, allowing for herself to dangle from the ceiling. Her fluffy tail twitched excitedly as she grasped the hilt of her bullwhip.

"Ferdi, I'm gonna go for the idol. When I'm clear, I want you to glide down to the door."

"Are you crazy? Just look at that thing!"

She unwound her whip, the tip fell right down to the Viper's nose, bumping against it as the snake made its ascent. She cracked her whip expertly, shooting the end towards the grate, winding around a stone bar tightly. She gave it an experimental tug, satisfied she turned her gaze back to ferdi, giving him a cheerful wink.

"Adventure and glory, kid. Adventure and glory!"

She let go of the ceiling, allowing gravity to take her down. She whizzed by the Viper, who immediately lunged at her, pushing its full body weight off the stone temple wall. Shaking the temple walls. Stone and debris began to fall rapidly around the room. Ferdi was knocked off roughly by a falling stone, he gave off a terrified squeak as he fell backwards towards the floor. His instincts kicked in, he righted himself and his arms spread, allowing for his membrane to catch the air. The Viper's deadly jaws narrowly missed the Red Squirrel, instead, it caught the opposite wall, smashing head first into the solid stone.

Myrel having escaped death's door by mere inches was exhilarated, adrenaline surged through her veins, and her heart pumped wildly as her free paw grabbed the idol. Her inertia carried her to the other wall, where she clung onto the creepers with a footpaw. She let go of her whip, as she watched Ferdi make it safely down. He hid behind a fallen boulder, his gaze found hers, worry evident in his eyes.

The snake hissed, shaking its head, seemingly dazed by its blunder. Stone and dust rained from the ceiling, painting the two squirrels a dusty grey. The snake recovered quickly, its gaze locking back onto Myrel. It slithered swiftly under the female squirrel, not wasting any time this go around.

"I think I made him mad!"

She climbed up higher along the wall, finding herself dangling from the ceiling once more. She fiddled around her many pockets, the idol securely tucked under her arm. With no answers to be found, she stuffed the idol into her haversack. The snake was now dangerously close, its foul stink wrinkled her nose.

"Grab a torch! I'm coming down!"

Ferdi rushed to obey, scrabbling to the closest torch to him, covering his head with a paw trying to fend off the falling debris. He pried it off with little effort, the stone ring that held the torch crumbled to dust.

The Viper opened its maw, ready to strike. Myrel reacted quickly, she pushed with both her legs, jumping off the wall with all her might. She somersaulted over the Viper's lunging snout, her back grazing the Viper's smooth scales. She landed on the Viper's back, sliding down its spine, her paw holding tightly to her favourite hat. The snake began to flail wildly, its slender body bounced Myrel as she slid down its back. The snake whipped its tail roughly, sending the squirrel flying up into the air towards the doorway. She flipped about violently, giving off a terrified squeak before smashing against the hard stone floor.

She coughed, gasping painfully, the wind having been knocked clean out of her. Her head had smacked the floor, a gash ran across her forehead.

"Myrel!"

Ferdi abandoned his cover, rushing to Myrel's side. He helped her up, allowing for her to lean against his shoulder.

"I never could land on my feet."

She gave him a weak smile, holding her head, trying to nurse the pain. Dust and small rocks pelted down, the temple was dangerously close to collapsing on top of them. With the help of Ferdi, they managed to get into a running pace, heading back down into the temple hallway.

Blood dripped down Myrel's face, forcing her to close her left eye. Blood stained Ferdi's shoulder, he had not seen the wound, but he could feel her blood against his fur. The domed room collapsed behind them, shaking the rest of the temple. Myrel chanced a look behind them, her hopes were squandered at the sight of the Viper still hot on their tails.

The temple shook again, large pieces of the ceiling behind the snake fell to the ground. The whole temple was shaking itself apart.

The duo found themselves in the treasure room once more. The torches did not light this time, the collapse of the temple having rid itself of any illusions. Instead of large piles of gold surrounding the skeletons of the dead, huge swarms of bugs climbed through the skeletal frames, the gold having never existed in the first place.

This revelation frightened Ferdi, not too long ago he had those things all over him. He shuddered slightly as he urged Myrel to go faster. Her head wound was starting to make her feel woozy, the blood loss not helping with the concussion she was sure to have. Her attention was entirely devoted to putting one footpaw ahead of the other.

The unnatural darkness was beginning to wane, allowing for sunlight to filter through the many holes that scattered the ceiling.

The familiar arrow statues presented themselves, forcing Ferdi to falter just a hair. He looked behind him. The outline of the large Viper was evident, it was gaining on them. His heart raced, fear welling up in his throat. With a loud roaring warcry, he rushed into the death traps, pulling Myrel along with him.

"ADVENTURE AND GLORY!"

Upon hearing her warcry, Myrel's hope was boosted. Her little Ferdi was becoming brave.

Arrows whizzed by with each step, bouncing adamantly against the walls. The snake slithered quickly onto the pressure plate floor, its large body activating the remaining traps. Dozens of arrows pierced its scaly hide, infuriating the serpent. It thrashed about, slamming its full weight against the temple walls, prompting large pieces of the temple to rain down on top of it.

The two squirrels cleared the trap zone, the light from the entrance was now visible. The Viper began to panic, the large stones threatening to bury it alive. It zoomed forward, one final effort at catching its prey. Its lethal jaws closing in on the squirrels.

Fortune has always favoured the brave. The two squirrels jumped through the entrance just as the rest of the temple came crashing down. Stone and dust exploded out the door, covering the squirrels in grey dust. A blood-curdling cry erupted from within the destroyed temple, the weight of the ancient building now laying on the mighty serpent.

Both squirrels lay panting on the ground, coughing and sputtering, trying to clear their mouths of the dust. Ferdi tossed the torch away as Myrel let out a hearty laugh, he joined in as they jumped up off the ground, their tails twitching in excitement and overwhelming joy.

"Ohhaha! That was close! What a monster that thing was!"

"Biggest snake I've ever seen!"

Ferdi replied with a wide smile.

She leant in and grabbed Ferdi, pulling him into a big hug. He tried to struggle as she rubbed her face against his, but she was a lot stronger than he was. Satisfied, she let him go. She sighed, walking towards the collapsed temple entrance.

"Your hat is missing."

Myrel froze, moving a paw to her head, giving the now bare fur a pat.

"Damn!"

Her paw slowly followed a dampness, clasping against her soaked forehead. She brought her paw down, dark red blood stained her paw.

"Oh."

Her eyes fluttered, and she stumbled, falling backwards towards Ferdi. He caught her before she hit the ground, moving her into a sitting position, ignoring her many protests and angry chirps. The thought of celebration was lost.

"Quiet you, I gotta patch you up. No falling asleep now, bad for a head wound I hear."

"I'm fine! It was just a little bit of a tumble. I've had worse."

Ferdi rummaged around her haversack, looking for the bandages she had packed away. The golden glow of the idol distracted Ferdi for a moment, before deciding it would be best to pull it out altogether. He handed it over to his companion, who let it rest in her lap as Ferdi began to wipe away the blood from her eye.

"So much trouble caused by such a tiny artefact..."

The jungle climate hit them hard as they sat in the deep foliage. The cool air of the temple long forgotten as the hot humid air bombarded them. The relative silence within the depths of the cave-like temple was broken almost immediately after the collapse. Birds, insects, and other animals added to the jungle ambience.

Ferdi eventually found a bundle of bandages hidden under a bunch of Myrel's tools and junk. He carefully wrapped her head, having to push away much of her fluff to make an effective wrap, even having to move her twitching tail several times. He didn't mind, he loved getting close to the female, even if it was just briefly. With the bandage done, he began to brush away the grey temple dust from Myrel's red coat of fur. She didn't comment, instead, she let him continue. Her attention going back to the idol.

"Hey, I think this stuff stained your fur. You have some grey patches I can't wipe away."

"My kind usually gets a grey coat during the winter months. About that time up there now."

"Shame, I really like your red fur."

Further talk was halted by the sounds of approaching beasts. Out of the foliage emerged a score of squirrels, bows drawn and pointed at the duo. They were covered head to toe in various plant growth and covered in black and green dyes. A Vampire Squirrel materialised from the foliage, his overly large and fluffy tail towering above his head. His skull was terrifyingly distinctive, unique. It was longer and flatter than the squirrels that surrounded him, it made him look quite menacing. His ears were pointed with a tuft of fur on each end. His fur was a dominate brown with a white belly and a thin black stripe of fur running along his sides. A sinister grin painted his face as he stopped just shy of the duo.

"Ah, the Gallivanter has returned to the jungles!"

"Rohley!"

Myrel growled fiercely. She jumped up quickly, punching Rohley square in the jaw, her head wound now forgotten. He stumbled back slightly, his paw nursing his now wounded jaw. The archers around him looked ready to retaliate, Rohley, however, held a paw up, stopping any sort of retribution.

"Feisty as ever I see."

"You deserve far worse for what you've done."

The idol was now tucked securely under her left arm. Rohley eyed it hungrily but regained his former cool composure.

"It's been a decade since you last showed your face around my jungles."

"A decade too long."

She gestured to Ferdi, motioning him up. She pulled him behind her back, tapping her lips with a finger to silence her friend.

"How could you betray us like this? Dooming your friends and family to eternal damnation."

Myrel said, pouring all her hate into her words.

"That's really harsh! I never meant for the collateral damage, I swear!"

"Then break the curse! Be done with this infernal witchcraft."

"You know I can't do that."

Myrel's tail twitched angrily, slapping Ferdi in the face repeatedly. His paws shot up, grabbing the wagging annoyance, spitting out the fur that had gotten into his mouth.

"Eternal life has been my-our,"

He turned, gesturing to his warriors.

"Conquest for many years. We're now in possession of the one thing we've lacked for so long, the one thing that will turn this curse into a blessing! You've brought it to us, Myrel, and for that we are thankful. There is a spot among us if you ever desire it."

"I'm going to have to pass on that offer."

"Oh, but my sweet, sweet Myrel! It'll be like old times. You and me, together against the world!"

Rohley's arm wrapped around Myrel's neck, pulling her close to him. He was a just slightly taller than she was, his real height entirely held by his monstrously fluffy tail.

"Imagine it, this jungle as your territory! Your kingdom, never to be halted, never to be challenged. Undying."

He nuzzled her face gently, giving her fluffy red cheek a small kiss. She resisted the urge to bite his face, she instead settled with giving him a nasty glare. Which satisfied her.

"Death is just another adventure."

His tail twitched slightly, clenching his fists in anger.

"So it is."

His paw wrapped around the idol, pulling it away from under Myrel's arm.

"Thanks, Doll."

Her paws clenched tightly as she watched him turn his back, lifting the idol high above his head.

"Hail, Jo'eru!"

The many squirrels that lay half-hidden inside the dense foliage lowered their bows, bowing down to the held idol. Each one yelled in unison.

"Hail!"

Myrel acted quickly, grabbing Ferdi's paw she took off, crashing roughly into the jungle fringe with Ferdi in tow. The score of warriors behind them lifted their heads, watching them crash farther into the jungle. Their eyes switched to Rohley, they were unmoving waiting for a command. He sighed, closing his eyes as he rubbed his temples slowly.

"Kill her."

The squirrels jumped into action, yelling various war cries as they brushed past Rohley in pursuit of the two escapees. Rohley's tail twitched as he walked slowly over to the now destroyed temple, cursing his impudence.

The jungle was alive with the sounds of war cries and paw steps. Ferdi and Myrel aimed for the river, hoping to beat the pursuing squirrels to their boats. Progress was slow, the thick jungle foliage slowing their pace. Some of the squirrels jumped from tree to tree, some pursued on foot, bows held in paw with arrows notched, ready to fire once in range.

The trees wiggled and shook high above the fleeing duo. Ferdi looked up, catching a squirrel in the corner of his eye.

"Myrel! Above us!"

One of the squirrel warriors jumped from his low hanging branch, crashing his full body weight into the duo, sending them tumbling to the ground. The invading squirrel held a short wooden spear, he made for a thrust at the Red Squirrel. Myrel used the momentum to force herself into a roll, her paw swiftly moving to her sabre hilt. It was unsheathed in a blink of an eye, parrying the incoming spear thrust. She effortlessly pushed the spear to her side, letting it thrust past her. Her free paw smashed into his exposed head, sending him senseless to the ground.

Arrows began to fall around them, the trees and foliage interfering with their paths. Ferdi grabbed Myrel's free paw, tugging her away from the fallen squirrel.

"They're gaining!"

She took the lead once more, pulling Ferdi into a sprint. They cleared the jungle, entering a small clearing on a cliff side overlooking the massive Gyuric river system. The cliff side towered fifty feet over the river and low canopy of the jungle below. It was the only way down.

The stomping of paws and the many war cries emanated powerfully from the nearby jungle fringe.

"We're cutting this one close, get over the side there, hurry now."

Ferdi thought of just gliding down safely, but he didn't want to leave his friend behind. With Myrel's help, he was over the side, clinging onto the hard jagged stone. Arrows flew above their heads, missing the female Red Squirrel by mere inches. Ferdi looked up, worry in his eyes as he offered a paw to Myrel.

"Grab my paw!"

She nodded, kneeling down, her paw outstretched towards her companion.

A few of the faster runners crashed through the jungle fringe, rushing the Red Squirrel head on. Cursing her bad luck she popped back up, striking a stance, her sword outstretched. Three squirrels charged towards her, spears held in both paws. The first thrust came from a Smokey Flying Squirrel, young, most likely around Ferdi's age with fur completely black with white tufts poking from his light armour. His age alone was not enough to stop Myrel from using steel.

"Look out!"

She parried, sending the spearhead into the soft earth at her feet. She brought her paw back up in a swift arc, slashing across the chest of the attacking squirrel. He squeaked, gasping slightly as the blade cut through his leathery leaf chest plate. Blood flowed from the wound, soaking his chest fur a dark red. He brought a paw to his chest, feeling the wet and warm liquid. His eyes fluttered as he dropped his spear, falling backwards onto the ground. Myrel's attention immediately jumped to his companions, her blade dripped red with the blood of her foe. She flicked the blade to the ground, splattering the green foliage red before moving back into a stance.

They came at her hard, two spears lunged aggressively towards her middle, She blocked one with the flat side of her blade, spinning her body around the thrust, her bushy tail slapping the attacker in the face. He flinched, allowing for Myrel to shove him roughly against his female companion. The attackers seemed to be a seasoned duo, recovering fast from the counter, stumbling only slightly. Arrows continued to buzz overhead like angry hornets. The many pursuing squirrels began to emerge from the jungle fringe, bows drawn taut, taking careful aim not to hit their fellow tribe mates. Ferdi stared helplessly at the fighting trio, he was no warrior, he could not help his friend.

Myrel fought well, her steel weapon acting as an intimidation tool, the duo knew they were outgunned, they had to play defensively. The two squirrels began to push Myrel back towards the cliff, getting her dangerously close to the edge. She couldn't find an opening, their defence was solid. If she were to strike heedlessly, she would surely be run through. She was waiting for the opportune time, thankfully she didn't have to wait long. The female attacker surged forward, hoping to end it in one last strike. Myrel acted quickly, unsheathing her large dagger, surging it forward to meet the incoming attack. She parried, sending the female squirrel tumbling into the dirt. The male lunged forward, just as Myrel had predicted. Her sabre met his wooden spear, sending it harmlessly to her side, allowing for her dagger to dig deep into his rib cage. He stared into her eyes as he coughed, blood flowing over his lips as his paw released his spear. She pulled her dagger out, pushing the slain squirrel to the ground.

Her breath caught, a sudden stinging sensation sweeping across her shoulder.

"No!"

Ferdi screamed, tears pooling in his eyes as he tried to climb back over the cliff side. Myrel's eyes fluttered as she stumbled backwards, her paw moving to her left shoulder. An arrow laced with poison stuck deep into her flesh, her paw wrapped around it as she took another step back, her footpaws dangerously close to the edge. Warcries sounded from the fringe, excitement rippling through the ranks. The poison had done its job, her eyelids fluttered one last time before closing. Her limp body fell over the edge, her fluffy tail brushing past Ferdi who looked on in shock.

Without missing a beat, he let go of the rocky wall, moving his arms to his sides, pushing himself into a dive after Myrel. His leafy tunic whipped around in the wind, his tail circled around, stabilizing his descent. He caught up with her swiftly, wrapping his arms around her chest. He spun her over, resting her limp body against his chest. The jungle canopy far below approached quickly, Ferdi braced himself, closing his eyes tightly, holding her head close to his heart.

His back smashed into the canopy, branches slapped and scratched at his body, the sharp branches tearing his leafy tunic away. His grip on Myrel never faltered, protecting her from the fall. His flight membrane tore open and gashes were sliced into his flesh. He wailed in pain as his spine struck a large branch, a loud snapping crunch could be heard, the wind escaping Ferdi's lungs. They landed against the moist jungle floor with a sickening thud. Ferdi lay motionless, his arms still tightly wrapped around Myrel. The jungle went silent for a moment before the ambience returned, cascading through the dense jungle once more.

The efforts of the Red-cheeked Flying Squirrel were not in vain, Myrel lay upon his chest mostly uninjured. The poison that invaded her shoulder was beginning to wear off. She stirred, stretching her arms weakly. Her paws moved to her face, rubbing her eyes gently. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting at the sunlight that filtered through the canopy. She was lost and disoriented, her memory hazy, unaware of the tumble she had just survived. Though it was short lived, the pain in her shoulder erupted forth, shoving her roughly back into reality. She brought a paw to her shoulder, gently pawing at the arrow shaft. She squeaked with each touch of the shaft, closing her eyes in pain. The arrowhead had lodged itself into her shoulder blade.

Ferdi began to shift under the female squirrel, spooking her slightly. His eyes popped open, gasping violently for air. She rolled off of his broken body, gasping in horror, bringing a paw to her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes as Ferdi began to scream, the unimaginable pain beginning to set in. He had escaped death's door, his soul unable to leave this world because of the dark curse that plagued him.

"Shhh I'm here, Ferdi."

She moved a paw to his head, rubbing his fur gently. Her other paw found his, his paw squeezed down on hers making her wince in pain.

His body began to mend itself, snapping his bones back in place. The many wounds strewn about his body slowly closed. His flight membrane filled back in, reconnecting his arms to his sides. Tears flowed down Myrel's red cheeks as she slowly lifted Ferdi's healing body, propping him against a nearby tree trunk. She sat beside him, pressing her cheek against his, her paw still tightly bound to his. His screams slowly died down, replaced with his heavy panting. The jungle ambience slowly returned as Ferdi looked up into Myrel's eyes. He slowly pushed his face into her chest, tears streaming down his face.

High above them on the cliff side, the squirrels had retreated back into the jungle, padding their way silently towards the temple. The squirrels that felt Myrel's steel had been resurrected by the dark curse.

Rohley stood upon the ruins, the idol held tightly in his paws. A beam of sunlight encased him, showering himself and the clearing in a beautiful golden glow. A squirrel returning from the pursuit stepped forward, addressing Rohley.

"They fell down the mountain side. The female was wounded before her descent."

"Is she dead?"

"That fall would have killed any normal beast."

Rohley smirked.

"No matter, we have what we came for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Vampire Squirrel ( wiki/Tufted_ground_squirrel) Do not confuse this for another undead.
> 
> A/N: Myrel has learned the common tongue, that is why the story is written as if they all know the same language. Any language gap shall only be explored when Chi-an is present.


End file.
